The Damaged Roses
by prideprejudice
Summary: Draco and Hermione are at the beginning of their sixth year and they couldn't care less about each other. They each have their own difficult problems...they are both damaged. But, the roses can change that. Plz R&R! Belive me it's actually good!
1. Not Concerned

**Not Concerned**

Hermione Granger was not concerned with Draco Malfoy anymore. As Harry and Ron ganged up on him she need not help. There were much more important things in her life.

Nor was Draco concerned with any of the three. Let them do what they want. There were much more important things in his life.

"Hey, Malfoy." called Harry.

Draco didn't bother to turn around; Crabbe did that for him.

"Hello Pothead!" said Crabbe.

"Tell me...how do you three idiots feel?" said Ron.

"Better than you, I'm sure." said Goyle.

"What is it with you two talking so much?" asked Harry.

"Are you scared that they can talk back better then you, Potter?" Draco said finally.

Hermione looked up from starring at the ground in sorrow.

"You wish." said Ron.

"No, as a matter in fact I don't feel like wishing right now about anything." Draco said.

"I have a feeling we will beat you at Quidittich this year. A great feeling." said Harry.

"Even if Weasley got any better, you would still lose." replied Draco.

Hermione couldn't stand this, how could she possibly think straight if Ron and Harry kept arguing like this with Draco. Ron started to head towards Draco to punch him but she pulled him back.

"I have some work to finish, let's go to the common room." Hermione said.

"But Herm..." started Ron.

"NOW." said Hermione angrily.

She pushed Ron and Harry to hurry up. She looked at Draco, he wasn't flashing his evil smirk; in fact he hadn't this whole time. What was wrong? He had always been the one who was criticizing and who had been the first to come up to them.

Ron and Harry started to walk with confused looks. Hermione looked at Draco and he turned his head towards her. She looked at his eyes; they weren't so dark and hollow...so vulgar. She started to walk leaving Draco and his friends there.

Something had changed him. Something had happened that had changed him.

Then she realized something had happened to her as well.

Something that had changed her.

* * *

Draco sat in the common room staring at his hands as they laid in his lap. Everyone was laughing and having fun.

Everyone except him.

He got up.

"Where are you goin..." started Crabbe.

"Somewhere." snapped Draco.

Draco could tell that his sudden snapping had surprised both Crabbe and Goyle; had they not just made cowards of Potter and Weasley?

He didn't care, all he wanted was to be alone without having people around him be so happy.

* * *

Hermione rushed to a seat by the Gryffindor Common room fire and quickly opened the first book she could find in her bag.

Ron and Harry exchanged puzzled looks.

"Uh...Hermione?" asked Ron.

She made no sign to have heard him but he continued anyway.

"I noticed...Harry and I noticed that you've been acting kind of... strange."

Ron nodded towards Harry and made a face that said "I did my part, now you do yours."

"Uhh...yes Hermione it's true. Lately you've been so hidden...so apart from us. You don't really communicate with us anymore." said Harry.

She stopped reading about an old witch who had discovered a potion to heal petunias and focused on the blank of the page, listening carefully.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron with caution.

She put her book down.

"Nothing."

Ron and Harry didn't seem to believe her.

"Really. Nothing. I'm just...in a phase...just gathering thoughts."

She tried to smile and rushed to the stairs leading to the girl's dormitory.

As she climbed she heard Ron say "Gathering her thoughts? What's that supposed to mean?"

She couldn't keep this up for long.


	2. Hermione's Reason

**Hermione's Reason**

Hermione and Draco didn't do anything that day except lie in bed. Of course, neither knew that they were both doing the same things.

"Uh, Hermione?" said Lavender Brown as she came into the girls dormitory.

Hermione lay in her bed with her back to Lavender.

"Hermione? Ron and Harry sent me up here. They want to know if your gonna come down or not."

Hermione lay still not doing anything.

"Their going to the Great Hall to have dinner, aren't you gonna go?"

"I'm not hungry." Said Hermione quietly.

"Al right then...I'll go and tell them that." Said Lavender.

She left the room and Hermione could hear her feet softly going down the stairs.

* * *

"Honestly Harry, what's with her? She's acting all strange." Said Ron.

"I don't know." Replied Harry, "Maybe it's true Ron..."

"What's true?" asked Ron puzzled.

"That she's gathering her thoughts." said Harry.

"Maybe." Said Ron, "But it's still weird."

Harry nodded.

Ron reached for the freshly roasted chicken wing and stuffed it in his mouth.

"I'm so 'ungry 'arry!"

Harry reached for a chicken wing and grabbed some roasted vegetables as well.

"I know! It was like every teacher was making us work harder."

Ron nodded.

Consumed in eating they forgot about Hermione's peculiar behavior.

* * *

Hermione turned in her bed. Everyone was gone, no one was in the dormitory and she couldn't hear anyone in the common room.

She got up and went to the foot of her bed. Her trunk was locked closed. She didn't want anyone finding it.

She went through her pocket and took out a key.

She unlocked the trunk and went through her belongings. She reached deep down and pulled out a letter.

She went and sat on her bed.

It was hard to read it again but what else could she do?

She had to read his words one last time.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Mother is at work; on the contrary I am not. _

_I think it's my time to go. This may seem a shock to you but you should have seen it coming. Those recent fights with your mother have been too much Hermione. And everyone has been turning against me._

_Including you._

_You are a great person Hermione...and I know that you will do excellent things in life._

_But, I am sorry to say I won't be able to see them done._

_Don't blame yourself...you didn't know this would be the way things would end._

_I love you and I wish you and your mother the best._

_Love,_

_Your Father_

By the time she had finished reading the letter she was covered in tears.

She through the letter to the floor.

"You bastard!!" she sobbed, "Why'd you have to kill yourself?"

She went to her trunk and pulled out a photo of her father.

She ripped it apart without thinking.

"Why?" she screamed, "Why do you have to cause me so much pain?"

She threw herself on her bed and clenched her bedspread.

"You bastard..."she said softly through tears.

It took a while for her to regain her sense and get up. She picked up the ripped of photo of her father and stared.

She was sick of him but he had been a very important part of her life.

She couldn't let go of all the memories she had with him, all the great times when they were so close.

She went and got the crumpled letter and looked at it. She only looked at it, she didn't read it. She had read it too many times, and each time it had only caused her pain.

She got dressed in her night gown and went to the window. The sky was pitch black and she could hardly make out the Hogwarts grounds.

Suddenly, she heard the common room door open, she quickly jumped into bed and pretended to be asleep.

The dormitory door opened and Hermione's fellow classmates came in. They were first talking loudly but they stopped when they saw her sleeping.

"Shh...Hermione's sleeping!" whispered Parvarti Patil

The girls giggled and they were soon all in bed fast asleep.

* * *

Hermione, of course, hadn't fallen asleep.

How could she?

So, when she was sure that all of the girls were asleep she took the letter and quietly slipped out of the dormitory. She went down the stairs quietly and made sure no one was in the common room.

The fire was still lit.

She held the letter tightly in her hand.

She didn't think any longer, it was either now or never.

She crumpled up the letter and through it into the fire.

She watched it as it slowly crumpled into darkness, never to be seen again.

* * *

Thx for all the reviews, hope u enjoy this chapter! 


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